The Mom Weekly Volume 39: April 30, 2024
I was at IKEA for lunch recently with Homegirl, and we happened to be there on a Tuesday. The IKEA family program is a free sign-up that allows you certain discounts on items. I signed up years ago, and until recent years, you got 5 percent off of every purchase, including furniture. I’m kind of surprised that the discount lasted as long as it did, but it’s gone now.
Anyway, there we were at IKEA ordering lunch. And as we checked out, I asked if there were any discounts for IKEA family. And it was half off of entrees Tuesdays. Yay!
Homegirl said, “Well, this reminds me of something you used to say to us.”
I couldn’t remember, and then I did.
It was: “Well, you’re a cheap date.”
I would say this to kids when we would get a free kids meal, or have an inexpensive meal out, or when I would use a coupon or something else.
I think I might have gotten it from my Mom. (Siblings, if you remember this, let me know).
Now, if I search etymology for the expression “cheap date,” it has a kind of tawdry, 1950s vibes of someone who is loose.
Of course, there are also innumerable “cheap or free date” web pages of things to do that don’t cost a lot of money.
But I always meant it as a funny statement of how little something cost. And I was definitely joking if I was using this to refer to one of you kids. Children are the exact opposite of a “cheap date.” But they are so worth every single penny. (Remember, I’m Team Baby).
But I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing to be a cheap date.
It’s almost impossible to eat out inexpensively these days. The cost of restaurant meals—even fast food!—is so much higher in recent years. While it may seem not very possible to have a “cheap date” anymore, there’s always a picnic, or a hike, or a board game, or some combination.
But there’s nothing wrong with asking about discounts, or using gift cards (kudos here for Discover Cashback gift cards that allow me to eat at Panera for free), or using coupons.
Anyway, I probably should come up with an alternative to “cheap date” — I’m open to suggestions! — but for now, I think you know what I mean!
Remember how much I love you,
Mom
Interesting/Notable:
Pier Giorgio Frassati a saint in 2025!
This is fun news for our own Pier Giorgio (at least, that’s his confirmation name). Here’s the graphic created for the announcement by Frassati USA.
Paradoxical duties—Reflection on Wives & Daughters
I thought this was a lovely reflection on the tension between “when to speak up and when to patiently endure.” Bonus that it does so through the Elizabeth Gaskell novel Wives & Daughters.
The Uglification of Everything–Peggy Noonan in the Wall Street Journal (gift link)
This was so well written. “Because we need beauty to keep our morale up.”
An action item: Start a Summer List
Summer is fast approaching, and it’s time to think ahead about things that you would like to “accomplish” or do. And you can be creative! I haven’t even started mine, but I’m going to use this as a kind of template to begin:
*restaurant to visit (either that you’ve never done so, or not in a long time)
*nearby town to explore
*hiking trail to re-hike
*new trail to hike
*savory summer recipe to try
*sweet summer recipe to try
*a goal to visit the farmer’s market monthly or more often; a different one each time?
*museum to visit, especially with an intriguing temporary exhibit
What are you doing this weekend?
So, now that it’s Tuesday, what are you planning for the weekend? I’m going to suggest trying to cover four “F”s to get ideas flowing:
*faith—when are you going to Mass?
*friends—what friends will you see or connect with?
*food—any fun recipes you plan to try, or restaurants you plan to visit?
*fun—anything interesting you are going to play, watch, or do this weekend? Now’s the time to think it through, and put it on the calendar (even informally).